Firecracker Friends
by Sangwaelen
Summary: Slightly AU. A young Sam sees his first fireworks display, and gets scared. Guess who comes to the rescue? Sweet friendship stuff...aw....
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** The following characters do not belong to me, I don't have Tolkien's genius. They and LOTR belong to the Tolkien estate. The song, _Never Thee Be Frightened_, does happen to belong to me.

**Author's Note:** This story is a bit AU, so don't get on me about the departure from the original timeline. It's in two chapters simply for pacing, it's not very long. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.

**Firecracker Friends  
By Sangwaelen**

Frodo Baggins was sitting in front of a fire in Bag End, warming his toes. His friend's tiny daugther, Elanor, crawled next to his chair and reached towards him.

"Ah, little maid. Up you go!" Frodo picked up the golden haired bundle and bounced her on his knee. He had always loved children, though he never had any of his own. Frodo smiled and touched her nose. She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide, and hiccupped purposefully. Suddenly, the fire popped loudly, and Elanor began to wail. "Shh, shhh, little maid," he said, using his pet name for her. "Don't you cry, it was only a noise. You're already quite like your father, you know. Perhaps a good story will quiet you down." Without even realizing it, Frodo began to reminisce aloud about times long past.

~~~

Frodo had been a resident of Bag End for less than a year, but he had already formed a fast friendship with the gardner's young son, Samwise. The day was bright and the two were enjoying the sunshine in the yard of the large smial. 

"Mr. Frodo, what d'you think that is, coming down the road?" Sam asked, squinting in the sunlight. Frodo looked where Sam was pointing and jumped up off the grass.

"Why, I think it's a cart, and if I'm not mistaken, the driver is wearing a pointy blue hat!" Frodo ran down the road to meet the visitor. Sam didn't know the significance of the unusual headware, but followed after Frodo all the same. Both hobbits soon reached the slow moving cart, and Sam heard saw two twinkling eyes beneath a large hat.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried, climbing up next to the famed wizard. "I knew it was you!" The old man shook his head and laughed.

"And who might that little hobbit lad be?" He asked, pointing down to Sam, who wasn't quite big enough to climb into the cart alone.

"Samwise Gamgee, at yer service, sir." Sam felt very small underneath Gandalf's kind eyes.

"Well, I don't seem to be the one in need of service, now, do I. Frodo, help the young Samwise up here. I wouldn't want to miss out on what he has to say."

"I'm sorry, Sam," Frodo said as he leaned over and held out a hand. "I sometimes forget how little you are." Soon the trio was slowly on their way back to Bag End. "So, Gandalf, don't tell me that you have _fireworks_ underneath that old tarp."

"All right, I won't," Gandalf said with a wink. Sam twisted his head around as far as he could to see them, but all he saw was an old grey tarp, like Frodo had said. "And I also won't tell you that they will be going off tomorrow to celebrate a very special occasion." "And what occasion might that be, Mr. Gandalf?" Sam piped up, having finally found his voice.

"Why, my arrival, young Samwise. What else?"

---


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** The following characters do not belong to me, I don't have Tolkien's genius. They and LOTR belong to the Tolkien estate. The song, _Never Thee Be Frightened_, does happen to belong to me.

**Author's Note:** This story is a bit AU, so don't get on me about the departure from the original timeline. It's in two chapters simply for pacing, it's not very long. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. Oh, and the seedcakes just for Trilliah ;)

**Firecracker Friends  
By Sangwaelen**

Frodo was up with the sun the next morning, full of excitement about the impending fireworks. He had seen a few small crackers and whing-zingers, as they were called, back in Buckland, but according to Bilbo, Gandalf's fireworks were legendary. He wasn't at all surprised when he saw Sam's small figure jogging towards Bag End a bit earlier than usual, with his gaffer more than a few steps behind.

"Mr. Frodo! Mr. Fro...do..." he puffed, his cheeks rosier than usual from his bout of exercise. "Da says...Da says..."

"Take a breath, Sam. There you go. Now, what did Mr. Hamfast say?"

"He says I can spend the whole day with you, being as it's a special occasion 'n all. O'course, if it's all right with you and Mr. Bilbo." Frodo told him he it was certainly fine with him, and that Bilbo wouldn't mind a bit. Sam nearly shouted with joy, but remembered that his gaffer had told him to be on his best behavior, and though better of it.

The day passed slowly for both of the young hobbits, but Sam was more than happy enough just spending a day of play with his beloved young master. Despite his merry spirits, an uneasy thought was gnawing at his mind.

"Mr. Frodo," Sam began, between bites of a buttered roll, "what are fireworks, exactly?" Frodo was caught off guard, and choked on a swallow of tea, unable to keep a small laugh of surprise from rising to his throat.

"Well, ahm, they're..ahem..hard to explain," he sputtered, not quite over a small coughing fit. "It's like many colored fireflies, or perhaps tiny fairies, flying up into the night sky and making pictures with themselves. I've never seen Gandalf's fireworks, but according to Bilbo they're spectacular, and look like everything from the sun herself to flowers." 

"I would sure like to look at flower pictures, Mr. Frodo." Sam didn't quite understand the description, but it was good enough for him. "I'm so excited, I...I'm fit to burst!"

"Now now, that won't do! You'd miss the display!"

At long last, the sun fell behind the horizon and it was time for the display to begin. Gandalf had set it up by himself, allowing no one near a large field just to the south of Bag End, but now it was full of hobbits, young and old. Blankets were spread out and picnic baskets were numerous. Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam were soon among the crowd, and quickly situated themselves.

"This will be a sight to see, my boys," Bilbo said, handing them each a small seedcake. Sam was too excited to eat it, which was a rare thing indeed, being a growing hobbit. He saw his gaffer not far from where he was, but felt very grown up, being allowed to be away from his parents for the entire day.

"Look Sam, it's about to start!" Frodo said excitedly, as Gandalf bent over, a small flame in his hand. Sam's mouth hung open as he heard a small fizzing sound, and then saw a faint streak of light fly through the night sky.

BOOM!

Sam's shriek was nearly as loud as the firecracker itself, but few took notice except Frodo and Bilbo. It would have impossible for Frodo to have ignored it, even if he wanted to, because the lad had also latched onto Frodo's arm with a force that he didn't think was possible in a hobbit of Sam's size.

"Oh dear," Bilbo said, looking worried. "I didn't think it would scare him so. I suppose I had better take him back to the house. Come along Samwise, it's all right..." but Sam refused to let go of his young master. Bilbo tried to coax him, but the boy just shook his head and scrunched his wet eyes closed.

"I'll take him back, Bilbo. Just go tell Mr. Hamfast what happened. Really, I don't mind so much." Frodo realized he didn't really have much of a choice, and carried Sam back to Bag End, singing an old lullaby in an attempt to hush his tears.

It took some coaxing and reassuring pats to get Sam to let go of Frodo's arm, and a chocolate biscuit and milk to stifle the tears to only sniffles.

"I'm awful sorry, Mr. Frodo. I'm jussa scaredy hobbit, and now neither of us get t'see the fireworks," he said, threatening to begin crying again.

"Oh, it's all right Sam, I don't mind, not so much." A flicker of green light caught Frodo's eye, and he went to one of the round windows and pulled back the curtain. "Actually, we're in luck! We can see the fireworks from here, and not be around all that pesky noise!" Sam's face brightened, but only slightly. Frodo slid one of Bilbo's small tables underneath the window and sat Sam upon it.

"Wait here, I'll be back in a moment." Frodo disappeared into his room and re-emerged with an extra blanket. "Here, we will have our own indoor picnic! How's that?" He asked, spreading the blanket out on the table. Sam smiled and wiped his nose. The two friends gazed through the tiny window, looking at the display in awe. "Look, look, Sam! That one reminds me of you, it looks just like a flower. You do love flowers."

"An' what about that'n, Mr. Frodo?" Sam pointed at the window just as a blue firework took the shape of a star, behind the flower. "That one reminds _me_ of _you_. We're firecracker friends, aren't we, Mr. Frodo?" Sam's eyes were no longer wet with tears, and his sniffles had stopped.

"Oh Sam. I suppose so. We're firecracker friends." And with that, Frodo began to sing the lullaby again, one he remembered his mother singing to him long ago.

_Dry your eyes child, don't you fear  
For you know that I am here  
Never need thee be frightened  
For in your heart, I am always near_

In your dreams, demons may lie  
But I will hear if out you cry  
So never need thee be frightened  
I shall be there, you will know it is I

Even when the years grow long  
You will not forget this song  
And never need thee be frightened  
For you know I will never truly be gone...

~~~

"...and you know that I am here, never need thee be frightened, for in your heart, I am always near." Frodo finished his lullaby softly, for tiny Elanor had fallen asleep, and was contentedly sucking her thumb. "I suppose you shall hear of the times your father took care of me another day," he whispered, "though maybe not from me."

Sam Gamgee stood in the doorway of the main living area of Bag End, gazing at his small daughter in his best friend's gentle hands. He had been listening intently for quite sometime, careful not to disturb the pair, and his face was damp with tears. 

---


End file.
